


The Respect I Deserve

by cass_e



Series: A + S [8]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Arguing, Crying, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Implied Watersports, Jealousy, Manipulation, More Crying, Neck Kissing, Non-Consensual Bondage, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Stockholm Syndrome, Threats, Vaginal Fingering, inappropriate use of magic, mild panic attack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27346231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cass_e/pseuds/cass_e
Summary: Sterling decides it’s high time he show his wife the respect she deserves.
Relationships: Ascilia/Sterling
Series: A + S [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833877
Comments: 14
Kudos: 19





	The Respect I Deserve

**Author's Note:**

> Hey-o, back again! (Quick warning: Ascilia and Sterling revert back to a WAY less healthy relationship here.)
> 
> And just wanted to say that the second chapter of this will involve a dress drawn by the lovely [shinygeode](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinygeode/pseuds/shinygeode)!
> 
> |[It also includes a very realistic drawing of Ascilia, if you were wondering what she looks like!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27049834)|
> 
> (I started this series for fun, so it’s so cool to see artwork for it!!)
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! 💖

When I walked into Sterling’s study a few days later, I had a book in my hand and a question on the tip of my tongue, but when I looked up and saw a strange woman sitting on Sterling’s desk, her back to me, I stopped short.

She had short blonde hair, and because she was leaning unnaturally close to Sterling, who was sitting back in his chair and smiling, her silver necklaces brushed against his lap, right over his cock.

Sterling did a double take when he saw me just standing there and staring, and the woman — the  _ faerie _ — looked at me over her shoulder. When she realized who I was, she turned around to fully face me, bumping a leg into Sterling’s chair as she raised it onto his desk.

“Oh, Ascilia,” she said, beaming. “It’s a pleasure. My name’s Trinity.”

I paused, raising a brow. “Well, Trinity, what’re you doing in my husband’s study?”

“She’s—”

“Oh, we were just chatting. Well, gossiping,” she said, cutting Sterling off. She waved a hand like it was nothing. “Sterling’s an old friend. I couldn’t make it to the wedding, but now that I’m back, I wanted to say hello! And to meet his wife, of course. You’re a very popular discussion topic at court.”

She laughed; I smiled tightly. I didn’t like the look in her eyes.

“So I’ve heard,” I said, tone clipped.

Trinity started rambling about something insignificant, so I finally looked at Sterling.

He was pissed off.

It could’ve been for a multitude of reasons, but I figured the main one was that he thought I was being rude to his “friend.”

I held his gaze for a few more seconds.

He raised a brow.

I grimaced.

“It was nice meeting you,” I said, turning on my heel.

Trinity called for me to wait, but I ignored her, slipping into the hallway.

I clutched the book with both hands, feeling beyond stupid.

A few nights ago, Sterling had recommended the book to me, and while I didn’t know if he’d been serious, I’d found it and started reading it the next day. It was an epic poem about forbidden love, so I, of course, found it enthralling. However, it was in Aryar, and while I was proficient in the language, I’d started to struggle.

So I thought I’d ask Sterling for help.

But instead of receiving that help, I’d found him talking to that — that—

I huffed out loud as I kept walking back to our room, trying to ignore the tight feeling in my chest. I didn’t want to dwell on the “why,” though, because everything was slowly starting to point to one very specific, very unforgiving emotion: jealousy.

But I wasn’t jealous!

I wasn’t.

“Humiliated” was a better way to describe how I felt right now.

I kept replaying the moment Trinity had turned around in my head, a bright but simultaneously cruel look in her eyes that only the fae could get away with.

She’d known exactly what she’d been doing, and she’d known that I’d known, which had made everything much, much worse. I very much would’ve preferred her to be some dim-witted whore instead of a whore with a goal in mind.

When I got back to our room, I stood in the center of our living room, alone, just absorbing the silence.

Did I really feel this way about Sterling?

No?

Maybe?

_ Well, it’s not a matter of liking or not liking, _ I reasoned with myself.  _ He can’t think he can get away with stuff like that. _

_ I’m royal. _

_ And I’m his wife. _

_ And he  _ will _ listen to me. _

I exhaled sharply, and when I was about to march back to his study to give him a piece of my mind, the door to our room opened.

I jumped and turned around, watching Sterling appear from around the corner.

He simply stood there, brow furrowed, and then looked me over.

“Ascilia—”

“Why was she so close to you?” I asked, cutting him off. His eyes widened. “Do you just let anyone that close?”

Sterling stalked toward me, his eyes narrowing. “Ascilia, it wasn’t like that at all.”

I moved behind the couch so it was between us, still clutching the book over my stomach.

“Her chains were touching your crotch, Sterling,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. I was dangerously close to crying, and it was all because Sterling was defending himself — convinced he’d done nothing wrong. “I don’t care if you  _ feel _ like it wasn’t like that.  _ That _ can’t happen again.”

“What the hell’re you talking about?” Sterling raised his voice. He smiled incredulously, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Spirits, Ascilia, you’re getting jealous over nothing. Trinity’s an old friend, okay? That’s it.”

“I know I’m a human, and I know you’re  _ stuck _ with me, but I still deserve your respect,” I said, raising my voice too. “And when you let shit like that slide, Sterling, it’s disrespectful. You’re disrespecting me. Can’t you see that?!”

“You’re disrespecting me right now by not  _ listening _ to me!” Sterling shouted, grabbing at his head. “Seriously, Ascilia, you can’t accuse me of doing something wrong when I haven’t!”

I bit my tongue, not wanting to say something that would land me in trouble, but the longer I kept everything bottled up, the blurrier my vision got.

Sterling kept going on about how annoyed he was, and he didn’t stop until I tried to inhale quietly, but it turned out loud and sharp.

Shaky.

“Are you seriously crying?” Sterling sneered. “Really, Ascilia? Are you kidding me? I didn’t marry a five-year-old, now, did I?”

I straightened and steeled myself, walking around the couch, and then I slammed the book into Sterling’s chest so hard that he stumbled back.

And then I left before he could see me cry.

* * *

I didn’t know what’d come over me, but because I felt more than a little embarrassed and vulnerable, I hid.

Sure, it was childish, but I’d found the perfect place for some peace and quiet last week, so as soon as I was out of our room, I made a beeline for it. I stuck to empty hallways until I finally made it to an unused ballroom in the palace, the one on the third floor.

I sniffled as I pushed in, and as the doors closed behind me, I let myself cry.

* * *

When I woke up, it was twilight, and it took me a second to remember that I was in the empty ballroom.

I sat up and wiped at my tired eyes, inwardly cringing at how swollen they felt — I hadn’t cried that much since I’d learned I’d be marrying Sterling.

I snorted at the memory and then stood up slowly, leaning against the wall by the door. I adjusted my day dress, dusted it off, and then made my way back to our room.

The walk was shorter than I remembered, so I took a deep breath when I got there, walking past the guards. They gave me wary looks, but I ignored them, keeping my eyes forward.

When I finally turned around the corner and looked into our room, Sterling was sitting on the couch, reading through the book I’d shoved at him hours ago.

He’d changed so he was only wearing black cotton shorts, and his inky black locks were twisted around a silver hair stick. He bit into a peach as he looked at me, and after he’d chewed and swallowed his bite, he closed the book, but not before slipping a finger between the pages.

“There’s a bath waiting for you,” he said.

He gestured over his shoulder toward the bathroom.

I didn’t trust his calm facade, so I asked, bluntly, “You won’t try to drown me, will you?”

He rolled his eyes at the question and then bit into his peach again. “Go on. Take a bath. I want to talk after you’re clean.”

I took a deep breath and then started off toward the bath.

I wanted to stay in there for as long as I could because I knew talking wasn’t the only thing on Sterling’s mind, but I knew he wouldn’t appreciate me stalling. So when I was done ten minutes later, I dried myself off, wrapped myself in a robe, and then padded back into the living room. I sat on the opposite couch, holding my robe with both hands — I didn’t know what to expect.

Sterling closed the book again and this time, he put it on the table and then gestured to some water.

“Drink it,” he said.

I swallowed thickly. “I’m not thirsty.”

“I said—” the fae slid the glass toward me  _ “—drink.” _

My stomach dropped, but I picked up the glass.

When I started to drink it, Sterling spoke.

“I’ve thought about what you said,” the fae said, keeping his purple eyes on me. They were narrowed, and he was smiling ever so slightly, as if something had amused him.

I didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

I paused my drinking to say something, but Sterling raised a hand and gestured for me to keep drinking.

“I expect you to finish that,” he said sternly. “Just so you know.”

“Sterling—”

In the span of a second, the fae summoned a  _ physica magicae _ version of my cunt and raised his hand above it.

I started drinking again.

“Good girl,” the fae murmured.

I breathed harshly through my nose, panicking as I chugged the water. I couldn’t take my eyes off his hand, which was dangerously close to my core, but when Sterling hummed, I looked up at him.

He was enjoying this.

Because of course he was.

I felt my eyes sting with new tears, but I staved them off as I finished my water.

I took a deep breath, putting the glass down. “. . . There.”

Sterling reached for the pitcher and then poured me another cup, and when he gestured toward it again, my lower lip trembled, but I picked it up and started drinking from it.

_ “Good girl.” _

I hadn’t been paying attention, so when I felt two fingers trail down the lips of my pussy, I jolted, nearly spilling my drink.

I exhaled harshly through my nose, fogging up the glass, and then squirmed in place. I looked to Sterling’s face, but he was looking at my cunt, fingers dragging lazily through my growing wetness.

“So,” he started again, raising a brow, “I’ve thought about what you said. I won’t deny that Trinity was flirting with me, but I can assure you I wasn’t indulging her in anything.”

He paused, looking at me again. “You have to understand that here, in Isellas, relationships work differently. As a married couple, us not having had public sex yet can be interpreted in many ways, but the majority of the time, people see it as an opportunity. That our relationship is weak.”

As Sterling dragged a thumb over my clit, I finished my second glass and straightened, clutching the fabric over my thighs.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” I said in a rush, hating myself for already caving in and apologizing.

I’d been in the right, not him, but I didn’t particularly want to get fucked within an inch of my life again.

Sterling sucked in his cheeks, thinking. As he continued to rub over my clit, I panted harshly and then pressed my thighs together.

“I’ve grown . . . fond of our time together, Ascilia. I’ve even been gentle with you, patient with you,” the fae said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “However . . . I think our differences regularly set us back, so I’ve decided that tonight, we’re going to fix that once and for all.”

Even though Sterling was still playing with me, his words sliced through my arousal like a knife through butter.

“What?” I breathed, blinking up at him. “What do you—? Ah!” I jerked when he plunged two fingers inside of me.

I froze as if I’d been shocked and then leaned back, grabbing at the pillows. I whimpered pitifully, and then I watched with wide eyed as he licked his lips.

His fingers sped up.

“I don’t think you understand why  _ I _ want people to see us together,” he said, voice thick with arousal. “So I’ll explain.”

Heat pooled in my stomach like molten lava, and without meaning to, I spread my legs and tried to lean into a touch that wasn’t technically there to begin with.

The next thing I knew, Sterling had jumped over the table and grabbed my shoulder, shoving me to the side so I was on my back. I panted harshly, disoriented, and then I felt his actual fingers inside of me, pumping harder than before.

“Fuck, Ascilia, you look so much better like this,” he said, sounding breathless for a second.

I didn’t have time to ask what he meant because he crawled on top of me and started kissing along my neck, biting and sucking wherever he pleased.

I pushed back onto his fingers and raked my own down his back.

“I want people,” Sterling whispered, biting at my right ear, “to see us together. You might think it’s so I can humiliate you on purpose, but I promise it’s not that.”

He started kissing the other side of my neck, and then he pressed a third finger inside.

I clenched my thighs around his body, already shaking.

“Men who don’t take their wives in public usually don’t know how to fuck them — that, or they don’t love them,” Sterling’s breath ghosted across the saliva on my neck. “And I want  _ everyone _ to see the faces you make, the sounds you make.” He accentuated his point by grinding the heel of his palm into my clit, making me wail. “This is how we show respect, Ascilia . . . I’ll show you so much respect that you’ll be  _ screaming, _ squirting. Twitching around my fingers, my cock. All over my tongue . . . Do you understand me?”

I inhaled in quick succession, fumbling for his hair, digging my fingers into the locks.

I was seconds away from coming.

“Answer me,” Sterling growled, grabbing me by the throat.

When he tightened his grip, I went cross-eyed and forgot how to breathe for a second.

“Will you behave tonight? Do every little thing I ask? Will you  _ finally _ let me show you the respect you deserve?”

_ The respect you deserve. _

“Yes, oh, fuck! Sterling!” I sobbed, hiccuping through moans. “I’ll be good! I’ll be so good!”

Sterling swore, and when my thighs twitched in anticipation, he let go of my neck and withdrew his fingers altogether.

I whined through clenched teeth and panted harshly.

_ No, no, no, no, no. _

My eyes stung with tears.

My thighs twitched.

My walls clenched around nothing.

I thought of reaching down to finish myself off, but then I thought better of it — instead grabbing the pillow behind my head.

And then I spread my legs invitingly.

“Y—You made some convincing points,” I said.

I tried to act like I wasn’t desperately clenching around air.

Sterling was about to say something, but I brought my knees together and slid my calves against his thighs — just to feel him, just to feel something.

I kept my gaze on his chest as I said, “I— This is normal, so . . .” And then I took a deep breath and held his gaze, which by now was patient but questioning. “I . . . trust you.”

Sterling smiled, his eyes small crescents. “You were  _ so _ mad earlier.”

I was starting to come down, so I crossed my arms. “Are you—? Are we going to finish or not?”

“Oh, no,” Sterling said, wiping his fingers along my thighs. He stood, looking around the room while he thought about something. And then he glanced back down at me. “We’ll enjoy the  _ respect _ I give you — later. Right now, I’m thinking of what we should wear. More specifically, what  _ you _ should wear.”

“Why does it matter?” I asked, trying not to pout. “I’ll probably be naked by the end of the night.”

Sterling raised a brow as he looked at me down his nose. I slowly closed my legs and then shyly turned my toes in.

“You’re actually wrong about that,” Sterling said. He turned to face me and then rested a hand on my knee. “Unless . . . You want to show up naked? Because that can be arranged.”

My eyes fluttered closed. I pressed my thighs together. “No, that’s not—” My mouth went dry as I looked back up at Sterling. “Are you sure we can’t—? Can I please just come now?”

I was hopeful because Sterling’s expression softened, but he then said, “No, Ascilia. I already said no.”

My brow furrowed at the thought of having to wait. I squeezed my thighs together harder than before, and I didn’t think Sterling would notice, but he crawled back over me and ripped my legs open.

My eyes flew open. My heart was in my throat. “Wait, please! I’m sorry!”

Sterling sighed long and hard. “I haven’t even done anything yet.” He paused to look down at my dripping cunt. “You know what? I think I’ll give you a nice distraction while I get ready. It won’t take the ladies’ maids long to get you changed, so we won’t have to worry about time, hmmm?”

“Wait, no, Sterling—”

The fae smirked as he stood from the couch and walked away. I was confused for a second — until I smelled the lavender of his magic and felt movement over my cunt. I groaned as I looked down, and my stomach dropped as I saw the runes once again curving over my mound.

Only — they didn’t stop there.

I was about to call for Sterling when they practically multiplied over my flesh, curving over my breasts. Stupidly, I tried to stop the spreading of the runes with my hands, but they jumped from the flesh of my chest and onto my palms.

I yelped in mild pain as my arms were forced behind me, and right when I was about to shout at Sterling, my jaw forced itself into a permanently open state.

My body was bound tightly within seconds, barely letting me move an inch. I started breathing fast because I didn’t like this type of bondage, not at all. Sterling had brought it up once, but I’d been able to deflect his desires with watered-down versions of  _ this. _

I thought Sterling had forgotten about his threat, but as soon as I relaxed, my clit was rubbed, dragged out of its hood. My hips wanted to lift from the couch, but they were stuck in place.

The only movement I could perform was twitching, and as the incessant, slow rubbing continued, the twitching got bad. I struggled to catch my breath, but every time I did, the spot-on, invisible rub would hit, making my legs beyond weak and shaky, jerking like they’d been shocked.

My eyes started to sting with frustration. After being so close to coming from before, I desperately wanted to feel my walls flutter around Sterling — any part of him — and I wanted my legs to shake so hard they felt numb.

I whined as the only thoughts that flooded my mind were about coming. I was going mad, not being able to move, only forced to feel. And even though some dark part of me enjoyed it, I wasn’t in the right mind for it.

On the edge of frustration was panic, and once the panic set in, I felt rejection in its highest form — that Sterling was only using magic to deal with me.

It was all so detached, and after I thought we’d come to an agreement too.

The second the tears spilled over, I could close my mouth again.

My eyes flew open at Sterling’s touch, his knuckles brushing against my wet cheeks.

He was sitting on the coffee table in front of me, wearing the most beautiful ensemble of white and silver I’d ever seen, chains gliding across his chest and then over one shoulder.

He looked a little sympathetic, so when I had the chance to move again, I surged up and wrapped my arms around him. I was relieved when the runes disappeared from even my hands — until they were completely gone.

I clutched the back of his head, breathing harshly against his neck.

Sterling’s hands slowly rose to my lower back, thumbs rubbing soothingly. “You’re shaking like a leaf, Ascilia. It couldn’t have been that bad. It was a mild punishment too.”

My heart wouldn’t slow down, so I just grabbed at the fabric of his cape, not feeling like I ever had a tight enough grip. “Please, don’t ever do that again.”

“Ascilia—”

I pulled away from Sterling, eyes wide. “Please,” I said, brow creasing. “I don’t care if punishments in the future are worse. Just— Please. As long as I can — can see you, can feel you. As long as I can somewhat move, I won’t complain about anything ever again.”

Sterling’s brows shot up as he regarded me slowly. He sighed as he moved his hands to my face, tutting softly at my tears. “You really didn’t like that, huh?”

I shook my head and then pursed my lips. “No . . . Not at all.” I lowered my gaze, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

Sterling hummed. “While I don’t quite believe your offer of not complaining about anything ever again, we’ll see how it goes.” The fae squeezed my chin, making me look back up at him. “And to be fair, I don’t like those types of punishments either.” His eyes raked down my body. “I’d much rather touch you whenever I can, no matter the occasion.”

As Sterling rose, I did too, letting my eyes flutter closed. I exhaled shakily, feeling relieved.

“You might find  _ this _ hard to believe,” Sterling started, making me look up at him. “But I want you to enjoy yourself. But this means doing things to you that you might not like at first, understand?”

I nodded, sniffling.

Sterling’s face softened into something genuinely warm, and it made butterflies take off in my stomach.

I loved standing under that silent gaze, but I broke the silence by saying, “I actually have to go to the bathroom now. At least, before we leave.”

Sterling’s eyes narrowed excitedly. “Oh, you'll have the chance to do that later.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! 🥰💖
> 
> And I hoped you liked it! The events of this will have happened before “White-Hot,” hence why I haven’t done the second chapter for that one yet.
> 
> And just so y’all know, the second chapter of this will deal with noncon, extremely dubious consent, hella water sports, and public humiliation, so... Yeah! Should be up in a week-ish. 😇


End file.
